Sami Shah
A Beginner's Guide To Pakistan

A Beginner's Guide To Pakistan

  • Radio stand-up
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2015
  • 2 episodes (1 series)

Sami Shah, one of Pakistan's most successful comedians, performs on Radio 4 in a show recorded in Birmingham. Stars Sami Shah and Anita Anand.

Key details

Genre
Stand-Up
Broadcast
2015
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
2 (1 series)
Stars
Sami Shah and Anita Anand
Writer
Sami Shah
Producer
Ed Morrish
Company

Sami Shah is one of Pakistan's most successful comedians, and he's been asked by BBC Radio 4 to give some insight into Pakistan's history, heritage and culture.

Is it all corrupt cricketers, flag-burning and nuclear stand-offs with India? Of course not! They have corrupt politicians, too.

From Benazir Bhutto to Malala Yousafzai, from Junoon to Vital Signs, from Imran Khan to Boom Boom Aridi - Sami rounds up the key things you need to know about the country which has supplied Britain with its fifth-largest ethnic group (there are more people of Pakistani origin in the UK than any other country apart from Saudi Arabia. And Pakistan, obviously).

Sami performed on Meera Syal's Asian Comedy Night, but he did that via Skype - this will be his first visit to the UK, where he will also be performing for a week at London's Soho Theatre.

He currently lives in Western Australia where he won Best Local Act for his show I, Migrant at the Perth Comedy Festival. He is still not sure if this was meant as a joke, as he had only lived there for six months.

In A Beginner's Guide To Pakistan, Sami travels to Birmingham - or, to give it its full name, the Islamic Republic of Birmingham - to give Radio 4 listeners a quick guide to the country which has directly and/or indirectly provided the UK with 1.8% of its population: Pakistan.

Additional details

Production
Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Wednesday 30th September 2015 at 6:30pm on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats
  • Sunday 16th January 2022 at 2:30am on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 1
  • Saturday 15th January 2022 at 11:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 2
  • Saturday 15th January 2022 at 2:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 1

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